


Kibou no Takara

by antimiya88



Category: Arashi (Band)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-30
Updated: 2016-11-13
Packaged: 2018-10-15 09:53:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 15,939
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10554326
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/antimiya88/pseuds/antimiya88
Summary: Sakurai Sho is a famous rapper who ends up in a special clinic for his 'boosts of fun', as he calls them. There, he meets Aiba Masaki, a former backsetball player whose career ended after a car accident. The latter seems to be very distant. At first, Sho doesn't pay attention but the more time passes, the more he finds himself intrigued by him. There's a familiar aura... as if they both can't find a reason in their lives. Could it be that this encounter will help them find a reason together?





	1. Chapter 1

Title: Kibou no Takara

Author: Andy-chan ([](http://antimiya88.livejournal.com/profile)[ **antimiya88**](http://antimiya88.livejournal.com/) )

Pairings: Sakuraiba (main) / Ohmiya (mentioned)

Genre: AU, Romance, Slice of life

Rating: PG13

Summary: Sakurai Sho is a famous rapper who ends up in a special clinic for his 'boosts of fun', as he calls them. There, he meets Aiba Masaki, a former backsetball player whose career ended after a car accident. The latter seems to be very distant. At first, Sho doesn't pay attention but the more time passes, the more he finds himself intrigued by him. There's a familiar aura... as if they both can't find a reason in their lives. Could it be that this encounter will help them find a reason together?

Disclaimer: I don't own Sakuraiba, ~~they own me~~.

 

 

For my dearest [](http://dani-mathoz.livejournal.com/profile)[**dani_mathoz**](http://dani-mathoz.livejournal.com/) 's birthday!!! ^_^ It will be two parts and an epilogue in total!

 

 

  


 

 

 

  
  
  


Part 1

  
  


  
“Here are the books you asked for…”  
  
Sho only growled as a reply his eyes locked at the window outside.  
  
“I’ll take that as an ok. I have to go now… The agency has scheduled a press conference…”  
  
The young man looked at the other with a raised eyebrow. “What exactly will you claim I have? Exhaustion? Or you’ll play the card of the painful story?  Depression? As for its reason, I’d propose you go for family issues caused let’s say… because of my career and my strict father’s opposite opinion… Such stories are always catchy!”  
  
“Sakurai!” his manager said in a harsh tone.  
  
Sho shrugged his shoulders. “What?! Aren’t I supposed to know the scenario myself?! We don’t want to fall into inconsistencies…”  
  
“Can you stop being ironic for one second?”  
  
Sho burst into loud laughs. “If I’m not mistaken, it’s the image of the bad boy that has made me this famous. I don’t want to disappoint my loyal fans… You were the one who has been preaching me since I was sixteen to always play a character… to become this character… and now that I have achieved it you have a problem?!”  
  
“You push yourself to be thrown away from the agency… But you’re lucky… I won’t say anything to the president this time…”  
  
“Of course you won’t! I am the one who fills the agency’s bank accounts with money… as if the old wolf could say anything!”  
  
The older man sighed shaking his head. “Just make sure you behave and not cause any problems while you’re here…”  
  
“I’m sure it doesn’t matter… I’m ill, aren’t I?!” the irony was more than obvious in his voice, making the older man in the room sigh.  
  
“I know very well that you are a clever person, Sakurai. I’m sure you know what you’re supposed to do and what not. I’ve got to go now. I’ll contact you later. Bye”  
  
Sho saw the older man go, leaving him alone in the room. He checked around, ticking his tongue against his teeth annoyed. He didn’t want to be there. Everyone treated him as if he had a problem, when all he did was enjoying his life. He was doing everything his agency wanted; from interviews and photoshoots to guest appearances on TV. He brought millions to them; he was the number one solo male singer… Thousands of girls and boys idolized him… wasn’t he supposed to have some fun, too? It wasn’t as if he was trying to kill himself… He only wanted to spice things up… to escape from the annoyingly boring routine.  
  
He had just started placing his things in the cupboard next to his bed when he heard the door sliding open. He turned around and to his surprise he saw a young man on a wheelchair, most probably around his age, trying to enter in the room. Sho didn’t pay more attention. Even if the other was a disabled one. Weren’t they always claiming that they wanted to be treated equally?! They did… So, there was no need to go and help him. Satisfied with the sequence of his thoughts, he took his headphones in hands and before continuing with his task.  
  
“Excuse me…” the young man said but Sho didn’t reply. To his surprise he heard the other hissing behind him. “Would you be so kind to help me a bit?” Sho frowned. _Is he being ironic towards me?_ “There’s something that certainly doesn’t belong to me blocking the door!” he heard the other saying in continuation and had enough.  
  
Sho turned his head to the other. “Call for a nurse! It’s _their_ job to help the patients not mine! And since you’re not holding a white stick I know it’s not as if your eyes are the ones with a problem... you can see that I’m a patient, too!”  
  
“I’d say an asshole…” the other muttered under his breath but loud enough to be heard by Sho.  
  
The latter was already pissed off that he was obliged to stay in this hospital without being able to drink a drop of alcohol or get to sniff… not even smoke some pot… and now he had this annoying person calling him an asshole. He jumped from his bed and ran towards the other who was staring back at him with a gaze that showed no fear or regret.  
  
“You better be careful how you address me… I don’t give a fuck if you’re disabled or not… Got it?” he had grabbed him by the collar of his shirt pulling him up from his chair bringing his face close to his.  
  
“You know that applies to you, too. I will repeat it once again, If I’m not mistaken the bag that blocks the door is yours… If it wasn’t, I wouldn’t have asked your help, don’t worry… What I hate the most is people pitying me for being on a wheelchair…”  
  
Sho was fuming but said nothing more. He had been there only for a couple of hours and wasn’t in the mood for unpleasant discussions with any of the doctors before he had the chance to say hello. It would only bring more trouble and it was the last thing he sought for at the moment. He let the other fall back on his wheelchair and grabbed his bag throwing it with force on the ground next to his bed.  
  
“There it is! Satisfied, now?” he asked with a growl.  
  
The other said nothing and simply entered in the room without paying any more attention to Sho… as if he didn’t exist. He went to the bed across the room and started to place his things in the cupboard next to his bed.  
  
Sho was left staring at him but quickly decided that he really didn’t care and lied down on his bed, letting his favorite songs fill his ears. He closed his eyes trying to calm down.  
  
After a couple of hours, they were brought lunch. Sho looked at it frowning. “What the hell is that? Am I supposed to feel satiated with such small portions?! What am I five?!”  
  
The other man across the room on the other hand said nothing as he was given his portion.

“Sakurai-san, the food is given to you according to your needs. If you have any problems, you should discuss them with the doctors…” the nurse explained in a gentle voice before bowing and leave.  
  
Sho was still muttering things when he saw the other coming closer to him on his wheelchair with the tray on his lap.  
  
“Here, take it. I’m not hungry”  
  
Sho frowned. The food wasn’t touched at all. “Oh… now you play the good one because you got scared but hate it to admit it?!”  
  
“I’m simply not hungry. So, it’s either the dustbin or your stomach… You choose! And I’m really not in the mood for any kind of conversation!” the other said in the same indifferent tone he had since Sho met him.  
  
“Spare me the talk…” Sho said in an almost annoyed tone but nevertheless grabbed the tray.  
  
The other said nothing in return. He turned around and stopped by the window, his eyes looking up at the sky.  
  
Sho looked at the other for a couple of minutes before turning his attention back to the tray. It was obvious that he was having issues but it was none of his business. He had his own issues and they were more than enough.  
  
Half an hour later, their appointed doctor made his appearance. To Sho’s surprise he looked more like a teen rather than a real doctor.  
  
“Are you fucking kidding me?! They’ve put me in this supposedly specialized clinic to be treated by some kid?!”  
  
The small figured doctor only smiled. “I’ll take that as a compliment, Sakurai-san. Though I’d prefer it if you called me by my name. I’m sure you’ve already been informed that I’m Ninomiya-sensei. I know I look young but that doesn’t necessarily mean that I am a kid… As a matter of fact, I’m a year older than both of you. Now, that we’ve cleared all questions concerning my age up, I would like to inform you about your schedule. Sakurai-san, here’s your rehab program. By the end of the day you must decide the activity that you want to participate in” the doctor said handing Sho a paper before going to the man across the room who remained silent on his wheelchair, his eyes still locked outside.  
  
“And here’s yours, Aiba-san. Starting from tomorrow, you’ll meet with Matsumoto-sensei”  
  
“Matsumoto?! The last time I was with Ohno!”  
  
Sho frowned. Did that mean that he had already been here?  
  
“It’s Ohno-sensei himself who actually proposed this change. He believes that it might prove to be the right th-”  
  
“Or he simply got tired of having to deal with me again…” the other said in the very same indifferent tone.  
  
“Aiba-san, how can you say that?! You know that Ohno-sensei really cares for y-”  
  
“I didn’t accuse anyone… It’s me who has got tired with myself let alone the others… It was simply a statement!” there was a smirk on his face and Sho was sure he saw the doctor gulp a bit uneased.  
  
“Aiba-san, I understand your feelings…”  
  
“Apart from being a doctor you’re a psychic now, too?! You surprise me, Ninomiya-sensei… To have obtained such special capabilities in the three months I haven’t seen you…” the irony was floating in the air, making Sho realize that he had more in common with him than he had initially thought.  
  
“My dream was to become a professional baseball player but my wrist got injured badly, forbidding me from following my dream. I was seventeen back then…” the doctor continued. “You might not want to believe it but you aren’t the only one who had his dream crushed because of an accident. The key is to find another one… And I think whenever a door closes another one opens. Remember that. Here’s your program” He made a few steps closer and handed it to him. “Make sure you’re on time!”  
  
The doctor bowed and got out of the room leaving the two young men alone. As long as the door was closed, Sho saw the other crumpling the paper and throwing it in the dustbin that was located at the other corner of the room before turning around to watch outside the window. The throw was perfect and it raised questions. He had heard what name the doctor had said and if he wanted to be honest now that he was looking closer to him, he could swear that he somehow looked familiar. Could it be that he was Aiba Masaki? The famous basketball player whose career had ended because of a car accident last summer? He couldn’t know for sure since he wasn’t interested in sports but he had caught some papa pics of him next to his.  
  
With curiosity winning him over, Sho went to the dustbin to grab the crumpled paper. On top the very same name was written, proving him right: The other was no one else but Aiba Masaki. He turned his head to him to look a bit closer. It really was him… Who would have thought?! Two famous people put in the same room of some specialized clinic… _This story would sell thousands of copies…_ he thought with a bitter smirk.  
  
“Yes, it’s me…” he heard the other telling him annoyed as he came closer to him, his hands pushing fast on the wheels. He took the paper from Sho’s hands and threw it back to the dustbin. “Satisfied now, _Mr. Arrogant_?!”  
  
Sho’s cores dilated. The other had called him by the title of his latest album. “You knew from the beginning who I was…!”  
  
“Even if I didn’t want to, I would… Half of the nurses were gossiping about how lucky they are to be with Sakurai Sho… Isn’t it funny?! They loyalty of some fans?! Not giving a shit about the reasons you are here but being happy just because they can be close to you!”  
  
“It is…” Sho whispered back. “I’m sure it happens with you too…”  
  
“Me?!” the other muffled a laugh. “No… I’m just the guy who lost everything… I can’t play and since I can’t play I don’t bring any money… and since I don’t bring money, I have lost my value…”  
  
“But-”  
  
“Look, just because you want a chit-chat doesn’t mean that I want one, as well…” Masaki said and climbed on the bed with the help of his hands.  
  
Sho said nothing more. The other was right in the first place. Why would he want any kind of conversation with the other in the first place?! He should get some rest to be prepared for the next day…  
  
The night came but he couldn’t sleep… he wasn’t sure if it was the need to feel alcohol burn his throat or his stress for what he’d come across… he only knew that the other man in the room also couldn’t sleep.  
  
Sho was confused. Aiba Masaki had managed to keep his mind occupied for the whole afternoon and from what it seemed the whole night, as well. It wasn’t that he had done something in particular. He had spent all the hours looking outside of the window, without muttering a single word, not even when a nurse brought them dinner. Exactly like it happened with lunch, Sho heard him saying to have it if he wanted. It was obvious that he was starving himself on purpose.  
  
That apathy of the other was scaring him. It could be because he reminded him of himself when he didn’t pull the I-don’t-give-a-fuck mask. It only proved that were both broken… But still was that the only reason?  
  
He could swear that he had just had heard muffled sobs and for some reason, he felt uneasy... wanting to sneak into his bed and comfort him. But why would he care?! He didn’t know the man… Sure they shared similar things… Sure he had heard of his case… but why would he care? He never did… he closed his eyes tightly, remembering the way he had caught Aiba Masaki looking at him when he thought Sho wasn’t paying attention. Perhaps it was that... the way those beautiful eyes of his had looked at him… empty, crying out for help…  
  
Sho took a deep breath trying to put his thoughts in order. _I’m just too nervous… and bored! That’s it!_  
  
***  
  
“Here, you can have it!” Masaki said as he came closer to the rapper’s bed offering him his breakfast the next morning.  
  
The other looked at it before turning his gaze to him. “Not hungry this time, sorry!” he said, surprisingly his voice not sounding as hostile as yesterday.  
  
Masaki saw him getting up from his bed, taking his T-shirt off. The toned torso had a few tattoos and there was a piercing at his navel. Undoubtedly it was a welcoming view… especially when it had been more than a year since he had any kind of physical relationship with anyone. It seemed though that the other had taken notice of his hungry stare as he chuckled, lowering his head till their eyes were at the same level.  
  
“You like what you see?” his voice husky. “Well… I really don’t like to brag about it but it’s my pride!”  
  
Masaki raised his eyebrow. “Well good for you… but no offence, I’ve seen better…” he moved at the side before stopping a couple of meters away. “And if it was your pride, as you say, you wouldn’t be here… you would have taken care of it!”  
  
He opened the bathroom door letting himself inside. It was spacious enough for him to move around freely. He looked at his idol in the mirror. “Here you are again… Happy?” he sighed seeing the way he looked. That was why he hated looking at his idol… because he was only a shadow of his old self…  
  
He was lost in his thoughts when he heard a small knock on the door. “What?” he asked with a hoarse voice, realizing that he had been crying. Quickly he wiped the tears away with the back of his hands before turning his head to the door that had slightly open.  
  
“You forgot your towels…” the other said in a voice that once again sounded nothing like the arrogant asshole of yesterday but also nothing like the flirtatious charmer of earlier.  
  
Masaki was sure he must have heard him crying during the night and knowing who he was, he was surely pitying him… and he hated that… he hated it more than anything.  
  
“I told you that what I hate the most is people pitying me…” he said in a whisper avoiding the other’s gaze.  
  
The rapper chuckled shaking his head. “And you think that I’m in any position to pity you?!”  
  
Masaki frowned at the hearing of the last words. “Then what?! You want to get A marks from the doctors? The system doesn’t go like this…”  
  
“I already guessed… It’s just that I realized that being an asshole to someone who deals with his own crap the same way I do has no fun…”  
  
Masaki gasped, his breathing having turned faster. “Your crap is all yours… you don’t know anything about me… and get out of here… I want to take my bath…”  
  
He turned around and took his T-shirt off throwing it on the floor. He grabbed the special handle to move closer to the bathtub when he realized the other was still standing behind him.  
  
“Do you mind giving me some privacy?”  
  
“You should eat more…”  
  
Masaki heard the other whispering and turned around to look at him… to tell him to mind his own business but he was nowhere to be seen. _Why can’t he just leave me alone?!_  
  
He entered the bathtub and once he made sure he was sitting properly he let the hot water fall on his naked body. He knew he should eat more… but for what reason? There was no one to care for him… everybody had left… friends, family, _him_ … Why should _he_ care for himself? If he was brought in the clinic was because he was found in an unresponsive state by his landlord who had come to see what was going on after several months of no contact. Of course, he only cared about the rent. Masaki was sure he had called them only because he didn’t want any scandal related to him or his property.  
  
He sighed as he closed his eyes trying to get rid of the thoughts that kept coming to him. He didn’t need them… at least not now…  
  
When he got out of the bedroom he found the room empty. He went closer to his bed to see the tray with his breakfast left on the side with the jam in the yogurt.  
  
That way is better!   
Mr. Arrogant xoxo  
  
  
Masaki found himself smiling just to go back to his usual emotionless self, seconds later. He grabbed the tray and threw it in the dustbin.  
  
“Your loss…” he heard the other entering inside but chose not to look.  
  
“I wasn’t hungry… so it wasn’t my loss…” Masaki saw the other coming closer to him and raised his hand. “Don’t dare to say that I should eat more…”  
  
“I wouldn’t… but it’s a real pity… you have all the potentials to be killer-sexy and you have thrown them away…”  
  
Masaki burst into loud laughs. “I would have never guessed that you have such a sense of humor! Or I’ll start thinking that your little boosts to spice things up have already left their defects!” He saw the rapper narrowing his eyes and moved closer to him with a smirk. “If you haven’t realized, I’m on a wheelchair!”  
  
“So, what?! I know a lot of _things_ that don’t require you to use your legs…” Sho said suggestively, causing Masaki to gasp.  
  
“Why the hell don’t you leave me alone?”  
  
“Perhaps because we have a similar aura…”  
  
“What the hell are you talking about?” Masaki asked with a voice that sounded weaker… almost trembling. “We have no similar aura! Leave me alone!”  
  
“Hmm… I don’t think so. As for why I honestly don’t know… Perhaps it is because I’m stuck in here without really wanting to and I’m bored… because we both hide behind attack when in reality it’s nothing more than defense… like an injured wolf… because…” Sho’s hand traced feather-like Masaki’s cheek to his lips, keeping their eyes locked together. “… I _do_ think that you do have the potential to be killer-sexy and I think I _really_ wouldn’t mind the idea of it… or because of all of them together… I don’t know… but what I know is that you’ll have to deal with it. I’m pretty stubborn!”  
  
“You’re crazy…” Masaki whispered moving back.  
  
“Maybe… but you will be stuck with me for at least three months! See you…” Sho left with a smirk, leaving Masaki alone.  
  
His mind was almost spinning around. What was wrong with the other? Why had he been stuck with him?  
  
***  
  
“Sakurai-san, you’re on time!” Nino exclaimed rather surprised to see the other standing next to the door.  
  
Sho bowed before entering in the doctor’s office.  
  
“I guess that I want to get out of here as soon as possible?!”  
  
The small-figured doctor smiled. “That depends on many factors… But one thing at a time. How was your first night here? I trust you slept well”  
  
“Doc, as cute as you might be, you’re not my type… so no need for chit-chat!”  
  
The small-figured doctor burst into laughs. “Now, I feel reassured…” he said in an almost dramatically way before he rested his elbows on the desk, leaning closer. “Don’t worry, Sakurai-san, as cool as you might be, you’re also _not_ my type… and even if you were, I’m not having an audition! I already have my chubby!” Sho raised his eyebrow as his eyes fell on a small frame with a photo of another small-figured doctor, realizing that the chubby must be him. “Isn’t he a cutie pie?”  
  
“They allow you to work together? What is this clinic? Grey’s Anatomy?!” Sho said chuckling.  
  
“You have humor, I like that!” Nino said letting his back fall back at his chair. “But I’ll disappoint you… there’s absolutely no such drama here… neither have we live sex shows…”  
  
“I’m relieved!” Sho replied in a small voice, avoiding to look at the small-figured man who all this time had kept staring at him intensely.  
  
“I’m glad to hear that. Now, you didn’t answer my question. Did you sleep well last night?”  
  
“No”  
  
“Nightmares?”  
  
“No” Sho replied again. He was annoyed with all these questions. He knew it well. They would keep asking him things in an attempt to make him look as if he had serious issues. “Nightmares premise sleep and I didn’t sleep. Your question is invalid, doc!”  
  
“Too nervous?”  
  
Sho didn’t answer.  
  
“If you don’t answer, I can easily think it’s because of your… _fun_ … Were you missing it?”  
  
“I did miss it but trust me it wasn’t because of that. Pot never killed anyone…”  
  
“I think I’m in a position to know it better than you and I’m sure your fun wouldn’t have been this humble… Pot is for kids…”  
  
“You’re smart, aren’t you, doc?!” Sho said smirking. “Of course it is… Occasionally, I sniffed but that wasn’t the problem…”  
  
“So what was the problem?! The bed wasn’t fluffy enough?”  
  
“Someone else was crying too much, perhaps?!”  
  
“Aiba-san? And that… kept you from sleeping… why?”  
  
“How could I sleep?! He was sobbing the whole night…”  
  
“Sorry… I’m still trying to follow you here…”  
  
“I take it back. You’re stupid, doc!”  
  
Nino burst into laughs. “I’m not offended, don’t worry. But I’m really trying to understand. Why would someone not sleep because someone else was crying?! It’s _the others’_ problem, not _theirs…_ ”  
  
“Well, yesterday he hadn’t eaten anything as well… and-”  
  
“So what?” the doctor insisted.  
  
“I…”  
  
“You were worried?”  
  
“No!”  
  
Nino leaned closer, staring directly at the other. “Then?”  
  
“I just thought how pathetic we were both celebrities being stuck in the same room…”  
  
“So you sympathized?”  
  
“I didn’t… I just… well… I thought it was a pity to have become like this… he must have been pretty sexy…”  
  
Nino smirked. “Ah… I see… so, someone like Aiba-san is your type…”  
  
“Well… he has the potential…” Sho murmured, lowering his gaze.  
  
“And you want him to achieve that?”  
  
Sho was left skeptical for a few seconds. Yes… he wanted to achieve that. But why?! He frowned, perhaps realizing what he was doing. “Wait a minute… Why are we talking about Aiba?”  
  
“You were the one who started talking about Aiba-san, not me…” the small-figured doctor shrugged.  
  
“What kind of doctor are you?”  
  
“Unique?!” the other said with a smirk.  
  
“I’d say weird!” Sho said with a frown, trying to understand what was going on in the doctor’s mind.  
  
“That still makes me unique!” Nino said in a playful tone before he opened a dossier. “Have you considered group therapy?”  
  
Sho narrowed his eyes. _We finally start…_ he thought and cleared his throat. “I think I was clear from the moment they brought me here. I won’t go and reveal personal things in front of random people…”  
  
“It’s confidential and don’t forget that all these random people, as you called them, they all have their demons to fight…”  
  
Sho ticked his tongue annoyed. “The problem is that I have no demons… I’m just having fun, Ninomiya-sensei! And may I suggest you should have some fun, too! You seem too lost in translation! It took you hours to finally start the proper interrogation!”  
  
The doctor chuckled. “I’m really moved by your concern, Sakurai-san, but I’m perfectly happy with my life… as for the kind of fun you’re referring to… it’s no fun… it’s an illusion… and it’s up to you what you’ll talk about in the group therapy… you might as well listen… if you wish nothing more…”  
  
“I think I made myself clear…”  
  
“The first session starts in an hour… It will be my chubby the one leading it! That way you will get to see him!”  
  
“Not interested!” Sho was really starting getting uneasy. “Our time has finished already…”  
  
“You’re free to go…” the doctor said, turning his attention on the PC.  
  
Sho immediately jumped from his seat. He had just grabbed the door knob when he heard the other speaking to him once again.  
  
“He will be there too…”  
  
“Who?!” Sho turned around confused.  
  
“Aiba-san… he participates in the group therapy…”  
  
“And what does that have to do with me?”  
  
“Nothing…”  
  
Sho was biting his lower lip trying to understand the other but no matter how much he tried he couldn’t. He got out of the room, saying nothing more.  
  
Nino crossed his hands in front of his chest. “You’re an interesting man, Sakurai Sho”  
  
***  
  
An hour later, Sho was trying to understand why he was heading towards this particular room. He gulped before knocking on the door. A sleepy voice told him to enter and opened it, revealing to him the ‘chubby’ that Ninomiya doctor had spoken of and a group of four people. To his surprise, Aiba Masaki was nowhere to be seen. He was fuming. _That doc lied to me!_ He was ready to leave when he heard the sound of a wheelchair behind him. _Could it…?_ He turned around, their gazes meeting for a few seconds. He could distinguish the surprise in the former basketball player’s eyes and Sho could only smile. Was it the way the sun was reflecting in them? He couldn’t be sure… but he knew they were the most beautiful eyes he had ever seen… despite the lack of shine in them.  
  
“Sakurai-san, Aiba-san, please take your seat…”  
  
Sho said nothing as he went to sit at the only left chair. Masaki moved at the other side. Ohno Satoshi, took some papers in his hands and asked them to introduce themselves. To Sho’s surprise, Masaki didn’t raise his hand when the doctor asked who wanted to go first. Someone at Sho’s side, starting talking. He didn’t pay attention to him though. His eyes were locked on the man in front of him who was staring blankly at the floor, clearly not paying attention.  
  
More time passed by and Sho could see that Masaki was nervous. His hands were moving nervously on imaginary patterns on his lap, his eyes still on the same spot. Sho was lost in his thoughts when he heard the doctor asking from Masaki to speak. The other seemed not to have heard him but after a few seconds of complete silence he looked up. “I’m Aiba Masaki, 26 years old. Former basketball player. Last summer, I had a car accident and since then I’m stuck on this wheelchair”  
  
“You don’t have to push yourself… relax…” Sho heard the doctor’s soft voice.  
  
“Don’t worry, Ohno-sensei… I don’t push myself… There’s nothing much to say… In a few words, after my accident everyone showed me how much they really cared…”  
  
Sho could sense the bitterness in the other’s voice… the emptiness… and he felt his heart clenching painfully. For some strange reason, it was a disturbing image…  
  
“And you think they’re right…” the doctor continued in the same calm tone.  
  
“Right and wrong…” Masaki whispered smirking. “Let’s just say I understand them…” he added before closing his eyes. It was obvious that he wouldn’t say anything more.  
  
Sho’s knuckles had turned white from the power he was using to hold on his chair. “You know just because people _are_ around you, it doesn’t necessarily mean that they _do_ care…” he said in a whisper, his eyes still on the man in front of him who looked back at him with surprise written all over his face.  
  
“I had tens and tens of them around me… they will still be… but do they really care? Weren’t you the one who told me yesterday?” he said causing everyone, including the doctor, to look at him. “About those nurses who were happy I was here in spite of the reason for it?! I’m not in my best condition… They’re still by my side but not for the reasons they should… for their selfish reasons… so maybe not having around you people who don’t care makes them at least… _honest_?”  
  
Sho was sure he could see tears in the other’s eyes. He wanted to do something… to say something but was afraid. So, he remained at his seat, silent, even when he saw the other leaving the room. He wanted to go behind him but the session wasn’t over yet. He had lowered his head when he felt a hand touching his shoulder softly.  
  
“You can go…” it was the doctor.  
  
Sho said nothing more. He jumped from his seat, almost running. He went outside but saw no one. He went out in the small garden, no one. He then ran to their room. He slid the door open. He was there… at his usual spot, looking up at the sky.  
  
“You surely are persistent…”  
  
“I told you I am…” Sho replied as he closed the door behind him.  
  
“So, now what?! You decided to play the role of the psychiatrist yourself?! I didn’t know your kind of addictions could have such an outcome… Interesting, if I may say…”  
  
Sho could distinguish the irony in Masaki’s words but chose to say nothing and move closer. “No, I’m not interested in playing any kind of role…”  
  
“Then what the hell was that lecture?”  
  
“It wasn’t a lecture…” Sho mumbled, his heart clenching again at the hearing of the small tremble in the other’s voice. “It was a confirmation that you’re not the only one with shits around you…”  
  
“And your point is…?”  
  
“It is stupid to give up because of shits…?”  
  
Masaki turned around and looked at the rapper with narrowed eyes. “You know that applies to you, too… You have also given up… Otherwise you wouldn’t need to sniff things just to have fun… you’d be happy…” Sho said nothing in return. “Lost your tongue?!” Masaki said smirking. He made an attempt to move but was stopped. “If you haven’t noticed, I want to be alone…”  
  
“Why don’t we try?”  
  
Masaki frowned. “What?”  
  
“Stop giving up… for a change…”  
  
Masaki was left dumbfounded. He could see it in the rapper’s eyes that he really did mean it.  
  
“There’s no reason for-”  
  
“What if we find one?” Sho cut Masaki’s words off. He kneeled in front of the other man, his eyes locked on the latter’s watery ones. “Together…”  
  
“Cut the crap, Sakurai…” Masaki said between sobbing and yelling, as he tried to leave in vein. “I’m seriously thinking that the damage is worse than I had suspect-” he didn’t have the chance to finish.  
  
Two soft lips had claimed his, making him hush.  His mind was screaming that he had to break the kiss. He knew he had to but no matter how much he tried for that, he found himself not only not moving away but also responding, his hands gripping Sho’s sweatshirt in a desperate way as he tilted his head in an attempt to deepen it. He didn’t know the guy for more than a few hours and there he was… kissing him… What was the other’s game? There must have been a game… But even though he was aware of it, why was he so weak against him? Why was he constantly losing control?  
  
Tears had formed in his eyes when Sho broke the kiss and looked directly into them. “I really want to find a reason with you…”  
  
“Why…?” Masaki asked with a trembling voice, his hands still holding on the other.  
  
“I don’t know…” Sho whispered as he wiped Masaki’s tears away, enjoying this closeness. “But what I know for sure is that I _do_ want to find that reason with you…”  
  
  
  
TO BE CONTINUED…

 

 

 

 

 

A.N. So minna here's a small SA story!!! ^_^ I know it doesn't sound very cheerful but I promise you next part will be way focused on Sakuraiba together and fluff comes along with a happy ending!!! ;)

Dani, here's a small surprise! The fic based on Nino's special you had spoken me of! ^^ I hope it turned out the way you were hoping! :)

 

 

I really hope you enjoyed it and as always your comments are <333!!!

 

 

 

 


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sakurai Sho is a famous rapper who ends up in a special clinic for his 'boosts of fun', as he calls them. There, he meets Aiba Masaki, a former backsetball player whose career ended after a car accident. The latter seems to be very distant. At first, Sho doesn't pay attention but the more time passes, the more he finds himself intrigued by him. There's a familiar aura... as if they both can't find a reason in their lives. Could it be that this encounter will help them find a reason together?

 

Title: Kibou no Takara

Author: Andy-chan ([](http://antimiya88.livejournal.com/profile)[ **antimiya88**](http://antimiya88.livejournal.com/) )

Pairings: Sakuraiba (main) / Ohmiya (mentioned)

Genre: AU, Romance, Slice of life

Rating: PG13

Summary: Sakurai Sho is a famous rapper who ends up in a special clinic for his 'boosts of fun', as he calls them. There, he meets Aiba Masaki, a former backsetball player whose career ended after a car accident. The latter seems to be very distant. At first, Sho doesn't pay attention but the more time passes, the more he finds himself intrigued by him. There's a familiar aura... as if they both can't find a reason in their lives. Could it be that this encounter will help them find a reason together?

Disclaimer: I don't own Sakuraiba, ~~they own me~~.

 

 

For my dearest [](http://dani-mathoz.livejournal.com/profile)[**dani_mathoz**](http://dani-mathoz.livejournal.com/) 's birthday!!! ^_^ It will be two parts and an epilogue in total!

 

 

  


 

 

 

 

 

Part 2

 

Masaki was looking at his idol in the mirror, his eyes locked on his lips… red and swollen. It had been more than a year since he had felt someone else’s lips on his. His mind had stopped working. He hadn’t said anything… he had left the room as soon as the other broke the kiss.

Sho had told him words he wished he could believe but how could it be possible? They hadn’t known each other more than a day… He didn’t believe that someone would fall in love with him this fast, love at first sight didn’t exist… or more correctly, he didn’t believe that someone would fall in love with him in general. He was nothing more than a disabled person… a half… as he had been reminded a lot in the past.

\---

“Babe, you woke up!”

Masaki tried to focus, smiling when he realized the one who had spoken was his boyfriend.

“Hiro...”

“It’s been a week since the accident… you got me scared!”

“Sorry…” Masaki whispered as he tried to find Hiro’s hand.

The other seemed to get the message and leaned closer taking his hand in his. “It was that bastard’s fault not yours… Because he was pissed off for having lost and got kicked out of his team, he decided to-” Hiro stopped talking as he saw the door opening and a group of doctors entering inside.

“The nurses informed us that you were awake, Aiba-san. How are you feeling?” the older one said as he came closer to check on Masaki.

Hiro moved aside without saying a word.

“Everything looks fine… Do you feel pain anywhere?”

Masaki shook his head. “No… is that… normal? I mean… wasn’t I supposed to-”

“There’s something you should know… and I’m glad Arimoto-san is also here…” the doctor said in a lower voice, making both young men frown. “When the car threw you against the wall, you injured the lower part of your waist… If it was two centimeters higher, we would have the chance to operate it…”

“What the hell are you talking about?” Hiro hissed walking towards the doctor, angry.

“I know it will be a shock but unfortunately, Aiba-san won’t be able to walk again…”

Masaki felt all the air escaping from his lungs leaving him breathless. It was just a bad joke… it had to be one… he was only 25… he had his career… he was the upcoming star of basketball… he couldn’t be stuck on a wheelchair, could he? Tears had blurred his eyesight, his mind stopping working. He could hear Hiro’s loud voice, the doctors’, others’… but understood nothing. All he could hear again and again were the doctor’s words. He would never be able to run in the court again… he would never be able to reach his dream…

After a while he was left alone with his boyfriend in the room. He didn’t say anything. He couldn’t… The other was looking at his legs with a frown. Masaki wanted him to say something… anything but the other remained silent till his phone rang.

“It’s my boss…” he mumbled to Masaki without turning his gaze towards him. “I must go… I’ll come again tomorrow…”

“Ok…” Masaki whispered with a sad smile. He hadn’t kiss him goodbye… he hadn’t looked at him… not even called his name…

The following day came and the one after it but Hiro hadn’t showed up. Masaki tried to convince himself that the other was busy… He had probably remained by his side the week he had been unconscious, so it was natural to be in need to cover it. He was in the rehabilitation center of the hospital, trying to learn to live the way he was now but no matter how much he tried he would still not know how to support himself. He knew it required time… but no matter how much time would pass by, his legs would remain useless.

A couple of weeks later, he was doing much better. He was helped back on his wheelchair when he felt someone staring at him. He knew it was Hiro… but why wouldn’t he come and talk to him? He turned his head a bit, so that the other couldn’t see him and saw his facial expression… that expression that showed all the disgust towards him. He felt his heart ripped into hundreds of pieces. It wasn’t that he hadn’t feared it… but to actually see it was different.

“Aiba-san, is that him?” the nurse who had helped Masaki sit back on his wheelchair said causing him to get stiff.

Masaki nodded, not knowing what else he was supposed to say. The other was speaking on the phone having turned his back on them.

“You may go to the garden, it’s a nice day!” she continued, smiling at him.

Masaki took a deep breath and pushed his wheelchair forwards. He was a few centimeters behind his boyfriend.

“I don’t know what the hell, I’m supposed to do! I don’t mean that, you, clever boy! What I meant is how I will leave him without looking like a dick! I’m in the hospital you should have seen him… half… pitiful… I was with him because he was sexy and beautiful and very good in bed!” he laughed. “Of course the money was a plus! But now what?! His legs are useless… He won’t even be a good fuck anymore!”

Masaki was biting his lower lip in an attempt not to cry. He didn’t want to cry. What for? For someone he loved but had proved to be nothing more than a jerk?! Even though it hurt, he knew it wasn’t really worth it.

Hiro had ended his call and turned around freezing when he found Masaki behind him. “Hey…” he said with some difficulty.

“Hey…” Masaki replied in a whisper. They remained silent for a while. “How is work?” he asked trying to break the ice. He smiled bitterly. It felt indeed as if he was talking to a stranger.

“The way it was…” his boyfriend replied in a cold tone.

“You didn’t come…” Masaki whispered again, his head lowered.

“I was busy, I can’t lose my job!” Hiro said sounding annoyed. “And how is this thing here going?”

“Ok… I guess…”

“Nothing new?”

Masaki gulped. “If you’re asking whether I’ll be able to walk again or not, the answer remains the same… I’m sorry…”

“Damn…” the other cursed but Masaki knew it wasn’t because he was sad for him…

“There’s something I want to tell you…”

Hiro frowned. “What?”

Masaki turned his wheelchair the other way around so that his boyfriend couldn’t see his face. “I don’t want you to come here anymore”

“You… What?”

“We’re over… Isn’t that what you want?”

“Well… I have a certain lifestyle…” Hiro said not having a single trace of qualms.

“I know…” Masaki moved a bit further. “But you should know something. I might have been a good fuck for you but I can’t say the same thing for you… Good bye, Hiro” and with that left for his room.

He closed the door and went towards the sky. When he was younger, he stared at it wanting to reach it… now, he only wondered why he had thought it was so important… it was nothing but air… like the emptiness he felt inside at the moment.

It was yesterday that his mother had called him, telling him that it would be impossible to visit him. Of course, it would be… It was her daughter’s tennis tournament… he was nothing but a reminder of the life with an asshole as he had heard her countless times calling his father; someone he had never met in his life.

Today, it was Hiro… He remained at the same position, not paying attention to the nurse who came inside with his lunch. His eyes were still locked outside… Everyone had left him… Perhaps they always had but he refused to really see it. Perhaps it was only now that he realized the sky he so loved was nothing but air…

A month later he was able to go back home. There he would spend most of the time in his bed. It wasn’t that he had many choices anymore. Hiro had already taken his things along with some others of a certain value. Masaki didn’t care… What’s the point of being passionate? What’s the point of having emotions? It would only bring pain… so he chose not to care anymore.

Slowly, he wouldn’t sleep… he would eat as much as he liked… some days passing by without eating anything. Sleeping pills started becoming his favorite friends but soon they weren’t enough… he needed more to sleep…to become numb… but then there were times that people would speak behind his back. Pity. It was the only thing he hated. His life might have turned into hell but no one had the right to pity him. Did they really think that just because he couldn’t walk anymore, he couldn’t listen too?! He was pissed off… He had always been the guy who would always smile. This guy belonged to the past…

Since then, he had been to clinic, he continued his road to emptiness…

\---

Then again, there he was trying to understand what was Sakurai Sho’s game… because it should have been a game… yet he couldn’t lie to himself. He had enjoyed the kiss… it had felt as if his body had been awakened after a long sleep… and to his surprise, it felt, as if it was asking to feel again.

“You should never doubt yourself. Even if it seems wrong…”

Masaki frowned and turned his head towards the source of the voice, startled to find his appointed doctor, Matsumoto Jun, standing a few meters away.

“You have no idea of what I might be thinking…”

“No, I don’t” the head shook his head negatively. “But I can see that there’s something you’re torn about. Don’t judge yourself… Our mind follows our decisions, our body follows its own and when these decisions seem to contradict the ones we’ve decided upon, we should reconsider them… perhaps somewhere we might see that we have been wrong… or we might get the proof that we’ve been right… but no matter what we should never lie to ourselves”

Masaki had been left with his mouth open. What do you know? Without saying anything else, he turned the other way around to leave.

“Aiba-san, don’t bury things underneath the carpet, face them…” the doctor’s voice was heard again, making Masaki stop.

“In order to face things, you must believe in them. There’s no point, if you already know that it is a lost case; an illusion… even worse… a game…” he mumbled before he could stop himself.

“How can you be so sure of that?” the other asked him coming closer, till he was standing in front of Masaki. “As humans we only have a single way to view at things. You look at them through your perspective which is unique, I see them through mine, Ninomiya-sensei through his, Ohno-sensei through his, Sakurai Sho also through his…”

At the hearing of Sho’s name Masaki gasped but the doctor didn’t seem to notice. His hands were grabbing his sweatpants with so much force that his knuckles had turned white.

“That means you can’t judge things through only one perspective. It is clear that you have doubts about whatever it is troubling you… So, go and clear things up… ask for another perspective…”

“But even if I do…” Masaki managed to whisper avoiding to look at the man in front of him. “It wouldn’t matter. It’s a closed case…”

“Your life?”

“Yes…” Masaki lowered his gaze at his lap.

“I don’t agree and you don’t agree either…” Masaki was about to speak but the doctor raised his hand in the air as a sign to remain hushed. “If you did, you wouldn’t have remained here… you’d have escaped the moment you’d find the first chance to and secondly, you wouldn’t be in doubt right now… I’ll see you tomorrow, Aiba-san”

Masaki felt his heart pounding crazily in his chest, Matsumoto Jun’s words keeping replaying in his mind. He went to his room and opened the door soundlessly. Sho was nowhere to be seen. Sighing he closed the door behind him and was ready to go to his favorite spot by the window when he heard something that sounded like a muffled cry from the bathroom.

Sakurai? Frowning he pushed his wheelchair to the door. He could hear water falling… The other was taking a bath. But then… the muffled cry reached his ears again. He slowly opened the door and saw the other sitting in the bathtub and water, Masaki supposed it was cold due to the lack of steams, falling on him. He had his eyes closed tightly and his hands clenched into fists, on his knees.

“Sakura-”

The other immediately turned his head to him, a smile appearing on his lips chasing the gloominess away. “You want the bathroom or that was just an excuse to come and see me naked?” Masaki involuntarily blushed, making Sho smile softly. “I’ll be out in a second…” Sho continued sounding serious but warm.

Masaki nodded before going back in the room to wait. He heard the bathroom door opening after a while and felt Sho standing right behind him.

“You miss it, don’t you?” he mumbled before he could stop himself.

“I’d lie if I said I didn’t…” Sho admitted in a weak voice.

Masaki sighed. He could recognize the truth in Sho’s words. “I’m fucked up… you’re fucked up… how can you say that we can find a dream together? We would never be able to-”

“Perhaps because we’re both fucked up, as you say…” Sho whispered kneeling behind Masaki, wrapping his hands around his neck.

“I’m afraid to feel again…”

“I’m afraid as well but if we have each other, then probably we might ease our fears… Just looking at your beautiful face is enough…”

“Don’t you think I’m a half?” Masaki asked what he was afraid to.

“Half?!” Sho asked sounding clearly annoyed. “Was it your ex the one who said so?”

Masaki could only nod.

Sho stood up and went to kneel right in front of Masaki, resting his hands on the latter’s legs, making sure their eyes met.

“That’s bullshit… All I see is a man who has all the potential to be killer-sexy and if I judge from the way you responded to my kiss earlier, I bet you’re a passionate lover too…”

“So, you want me for sex…”

“No, I want you for you. From the moment, I grabbed your shirt collar, I couldn’t stop thinking about you. Love at first sight… Who would have believed it but it happened… and I know that you like me, as well! Your eyes have betrayed you… I can’t deny though that sex is an entertaining bonus!” Sho added playfully and winked at Masaki who giggled, even if it lasted for a mere second. “And your laugh is amazing… I guess I found what I should get addicted to!”

“But-”

“Shut up and kiss me” Sho growled and locked their lips together. This time Masaki didn’t start questioning things. He wrapped his hands around Sho’s neck bringing him closer.

It wasn’t till they heard someone clearing their throat discreetly that they broke the kiss.

“I’m sorry for interrupting. Your food is here…” it was the same nurse as the previous day. She placed the two trays carefully on each one’s bed and left with a small bow.

Sho led Masaki to his bed. “Climb up, we’re eating together!”

Masaki knew that denying would lead nowhere. He found himself on Sho’s bed with the other sitting next to him.

“Meat?! Finally, some real food!” Sho mumbled to himself as he took his chopsticks in hand. “And no, I’m not having your food!”

Masaki saw the way the other put a large portion of food in his mouth growling with bliss. He looked at his tray and took the chopsticks in hand. He didn’t feel hungry but now that he was relaxed, he could tell the smell was pretty good. He tasted some of the meat and moaned delightful.

“Don’t forget about dessert” Sho whispered in his ear, making him frown. There was no dessert accompanying their dinner. “We can always continue from where we stopped, now eat!”

Masaki smiled and put some of the rice in his mouth, not knowing how to handle himself at the moment... after so many months he felt alive again and it was strange but not as bad as he had always thought.

***

“That’s an interesting scene…”

Sho raised his eyes from the notebook he had on his lap, seeing the small figured doctor coming closer. He tried to close it but to his surprise, the other didn’t ask to see it. He sat next to him throwing his hands up in the air.

“Damn it, being seated on a chair for so long makes my back hurt…”

Sho raised his eyebrow. “I still don’t get it how you are a doctor!”

“I told you I’m unique!” Nino replied with a small wink.

“Whatever…” Sho whispered, rolling his eyes.

“I don’t recognize you…”

“Cut the crap, doc. It’s not like I had such a-”

“You wouldn’t leave your room, you would avoid the garden because you simply didn’t want to meet other patients, you wouldn’t-”

“Fine! Got your message! Perhaps you would consider to let me go, then?!”

“Are these lyrics?” Nino asked avoiding Sho’s question.

“It’s a secret!”

“Stubborn!”

“You sure you are a doc?”

Nino muffled a laugh. “Ok… I take it back. Perhaps you haven’t changed as much as I thought at first but you’ve definitely made progress and from what my chubby said yesterday you and Aiba-san are the ones who have improved the most at the group sessions”

“That’s how you pass your evenings?!” Sho asked amused. “By giving report over the patients? How interesting!”

“Oh… you wished! That’s how we pass our lunch time in the clinic… Believe me we have way more interesting things to do in the evenings and no” he added fast “you’re not allowed to do them as long as you are here!”

“I…”

“I know that you are all lovey-dovey with Aiba-san, I’m not blind and certainly so isn’t Ayaka-san who comes to my office with a huge blush on her face after she has given you your dinner every night… And I don’t mind kisses but for the rest you should wait till you get out of here…”

“And when will that be?”

“That… That’s a secret!” Nino said in a teasing tone smiling when he caught the way Sho was staring at him.

“They’re lyrics…” Sho whispered knowing that the doctor had won.

“Our clinic can be so inspiring… Who would have thought?!”

“Yeah, you wished…”

“So, it’s Aiba-san…”

“Maybe…” Nino raised his eyebrow making Sho sigh. “Fine it is him… Happy now?”

“Yes! By admitting your feelings, you come closer to accept yourself… and by accepting yourself, you realize your mistakes… and by realizing your mistakes you have the chance to correct them and move on!”

“You’re weird…”

“Maybe… but that’s not why I was looking for you. Do you have a minute?”

Sho looked at the other with a frown. “What for?”

“Don’t be stubborn and follow me!”

Sho stood up reluctantly and followed the doctor towards the gym that was located at the second building. To his surprise, he found his… boyfriend? He still wasn’t sure if he could call Masaki like that even though he was dying to.

He was sure that Masaki had told him he had a session with Matsumoto Jun but from what it seemed he hadn’t. The gym was empty except for Masaki and the responsible one.

Why would he need to…? He felt Nino’s hand grabbing his shoulder.

“Perhaps this will be an even better inspiration for you!” he winked at him and left.

Sho was left watching Masaki trying to lift the weight with his hands trembling. He could see the struggle in the other’s face, covered as it was with sweat but he could swear that he also saw a fire he hadn’t met before in Masaki’s eyes… a fire that proved passion… life… Sho’s lips curved into a smile. Masaki was fighting back… the way he did… even if he had kept it a secret…

“That’s enough for today, Aiba-san… Don’t overstrain your muscles. Follow the program I prepared for you and everything will go well”

“You think that I will be able to try for the new season?” Masaki asked eagerness hiding in his voice.

“I think there’s a high chance you will!”

The smile Sho saw was enough to make his heart flutter. He had meant it when he had said that it was addictive. The more he saw it, the more he wanted to continue seeing it.

Masaki was now back on his wheelchair with the help of the gym responsible. “Aiba-san, I am really happy you decided to try playing again”

Sho couldn’t believe his ears. He leaned against the door closing his eyes. Masaki wanted to play basketball again… He had kept his promise… and if he had kept his promise then it meant that…

\---

4 days ago…

“I always loved music… I wasn’t the biggest talent in guitar or piano but I was pretty good with rhymes… I guess it was my way to talk about things as I’d never have the chance to do so in my family… My father was strict and cold and my mother submissive to his words… Even if she was there, it meant nothing…”

Masaki moved with the help of his hands closer to Sho who instinctively hugged him tighter as they were both lying on his bed looking at the dark sky outside.

“I guess he didn’t approve your job then…”

Sho muffled a laugh. “Approve…! They were nowhere to approve. I was living by myself since I was seventeen… not that they cared… It was after my graduation that I was scouted at one of the clubs I was having guest appearances…”

“Why did you start…” Masaki stopped not knowing if he had the right to ask Sho this or not.

“With alcohol and drugs?” Sho said in a carefree tone, despite the bitterness that was hiding underneath. “Let’s say that you start with a dream, you believe in people and they prove to be fake… everything is about rules, a certain image… You get tired… but being afraid to let go because it feels you go back to zero… I guess the word for it is cowardice…”

Masaki looked at his side, his eyes meeting with Sho’s. “I don’t think it’s cowardice… If someone is coward, that’s me…”

“You?!” Sho caressed Masaki’s hair softly before securing the latter’s head in the crook of his neck. “You were a shining star… stars are never cowards… but… tell me, how did you start with basketball?”

Masaki closed his eyes tightly, sighing. “The first time I ever held a basketball was when I was five. It was a present from my mother... the first and the last one I ever got… and even if I couldn’t throw it properly back then, I knew I had fallen in love… I’m not sure if it was because that ball was a gift from my mother… Perhaps I wanted to show her that I really was devoted to her… in my childish mind, I thought that I could prove that by keep playing with the ball she had given to me… stupid I know… Or it could be that I simply wanted a part of her by my side… I can’t-”

“Don’t say that again. Your thought might be simple but it was right… She’s the one who was wrong and stupid” Sho cut the other off. “Bothering yourself like that doesn’t lead anywhere… only to…” he stopped, gasping at the realization of his words.

“I know that, Sho. She’s a bitch. By the age of eleven, I was calling her mentally like that. She had lost the place of a mother” Masaki said quickly not wanting to bring the other to tears. “As soon as I entered school, I started playing in a team. In every game, I was feeling alive and that feeling never faded away… I would dare to say it only grew stronger… my dream was to reach the top… and I was doing it until…” Masaki’s voice turned lower till it cracked and a sob found its way to his throat.

“I think I understand now… When you stopped playing, you stopped being alive as well… You simply gave up…” Sho muttered in a whisper.

“Maybe…” Masaki admitted closing his eyes tightly.

“Why don’t you try it again?”

“What?”

Sho moved a bit so that he could look at the other’s eyes. “There’s a way for you to play, even if it isn’t regular basketball… there’s still a way…” he caressed Masaki’s cheek. “Your dream is out there…”

He could feel that Masaki had stiffened against him.

“It would be great… You would move up and down in the court once again and I’d have the chance to see you where you shine the most… now you’d have the opportunity to have someone looking at you and only you…”

“You just-”

“Promise me that if you believe in us, even if it is a tiny bit, you’d go and try it. You… you don’t have to say anything right now… or never, if you don’t want to… just promise me that you will consider it”

Masaki was biting his lower lip. He had never told Sho how he really felt. He was afraid to even admit it himself. Surely, he liked his presence, he felt safe in his arms, more alive than ever during the last year, whenever he tasted his kisses but… was he really in love with the other? He knew his heart was beating faster every time their lips were coming closer but was it love or simply lust? Attraction? He knew he needed the other but he didn’t want to use him… certainly not to lie to him. He knew Sho wouldn’t bear it, the very same way he wouldn’t either… They were alike… He could understand him better than anyone and he knew he didn’t deserve it…

He sighed deeply before opening his mouth reluctantly. “I… I promise…” his voice was trembling but it was enough to be held tightly. Smiling, he brought his hands on top of Sho’s saying nothing more.

“That’s all I wanted to hear…”

\---

Sho had gone back to their room. It was time to drink his pills to prevent a seizure because of the need of drugs and alcohol. He sometimes felt his heart beating crazily without a reason or his hands turning completely cold… he still sometimes woke up in the night feeling his throat dry but then he would look at the man who slept by his side… his frowned face… there were still nightmares… he could see it but at least there were no screams… these belonged to the past. It was a small sign that helped him be strong because no matter how much he pretended it, he wasn’t.

He was afraid… afraid of many things… but he knew that he had to face them... he wanted Masaki in his life. He hadn’t judged him; neither had he clung on him because of his reputation or looks. They were two people with different backgrounds and problems but still felt as if they were part of the same mirror; the one being the idol of the other.

He wished Masaki did feel something for him… and today he had seen it and he felt that no matter how many times would he feel his skin itchy or his body trembling, he wouldn’t care… because Masaki had decided that he really cared for him. His eyes were still locked on the blue sky when he heard a wheelchair coming closer.

“So, now you will be the one staring when you have forbidden me?”

“The sky isn’t reflecting emptiness…” Sho whispered without turning his gaze away “It’s reflecting unity… we are all under the same sky with no boundaries in between… perhaps we are both here because we were both looking at it searching for something… and I know now that I’ve found it…”

***

“Hey…”

Masaki opened his eyes frowning. He could feel the sunrays hitting on his face but didn’t want to wake up. His muscles were screaming for rest. He had never thought it would be this difficult to go back to training.

“Masaki…”

“A little more…” he whined as he buried his head deeper on the pillow.

“We have to take a bath before Ayaka brings our breakfast. Come on, sleepy boy!”

Masaki sighed but nevertheless sat up on the bed. In a few minutes, he found himself sitting in the bathtub, Sho scrubbing his back. It had become their ritual… They both knew it was because that way they wouldn’t let each other fall into unnecessary thoughts. Masaki wasn’t so afraid of looking at his idol in the mirror and Sho didn’t spend his time letting guilt fill him up.

“Your muscles are tensed…” Sho said in a soft voice.

Masaki said nothing.

Sho didn’t push it more. He wished the other told him the truth but he knew it would be a big step and Masaki would go around and reveal everything only when he was ready. He took a hold of the showerhead and rinsed him.

Once finished, he held the base of the neck and the shoulders massaging them slowly. Soft moans of relief and pleasure escaped from Masaki’s mouth, causing him to smile.

“You feel better?” he whispered in his ear.

Masaki nodded and Sho muffled a laugh before he pecked the other’s nape. “You don’t have to be embarrassed… It only made me more eager to hear your moans under different circumstances…”

Masaki gasped. He would be lying if he denied that he had felt turned on by Sho’s touch against his skin as well as by the way his hot breath was landing on his nape. The fact that they were naked wasn’t helping either.

“But unfortunately rules are rules…” Sho whispered before moving back, making Masaki sigh disappointed before he could even realize it.

Sho had placed a towel around his waist when he came back holding Masaki’s. He placed it on his head, drying his hair. “I want you… but having to hide will be difficult… These docs are one of a kind! Remember that Ninomiya’s chubby, who always seems to be asleep, was the one who made me volunteer for the evening ‘expression through art’ group. I’m sure they will take notice and then we might end up in different rooms. Besides…” he stopped and looked into Masaki’s eyes “I want you to scream out loud the pleasure I’ll be giving you; not to be obliged to muffle it!” he winked and pecked the other’s lips who was blushing madly.

“You always tease me…”

“Maybe… but only because I love it when you blush, like right now…” Sho pecked Masaki’s lips before he let him sit back on his wheelchair.

“You have a session with Ninomiya?” Masaki asked as he picked a clean T-shirt avoiding to look at the other.

“Yes and I guess you have one with Matsumoto?”

“Yes…” Masaki said in a tiny voice and sighed.

“Remember… I believe in you…”

“And I in you…”

***

Masaki was looking at the ball he was holding and could feel his heart beating crazily. It felt like yesterday and in the same time, ages since the last time he felt it in his hands. Could he actually do it? He almost started trembling when he closed his eyes remembering his words. “I believe in you…”

He took a deep breath and turned his gaze up to the basket. It was such a strange feeling… so familiar yet so strange… He counted to three and threw the ball with all the power he had in his arms. It hit the backboard before ending in the nest and falling on the ground. He was biting his lower lip in an attempt to stop him from screaming out loud. He had done it…

“YOU DID IT, BABY!”

He turned around seeing Sho running towards him with tears in his eyes. Before he could understand what was happening, he found himself lifted up in the air, spun around by the other. He said nothing… He didn’t want to say anything. He only crushed their lips together, enjoying the eager way the other was responding to him. Every inch of his body was covered by the same excitement he always felt in the court but now there was something more… there was this man who was holding him in his arms, making him feel human again… without flaws… weakness…

“I believe in us, Sho… I guess I believed from the beginning but I was afraid to admit it… I was afraid of getting hurt again…” he mumbled once their mouths were apart.

“Masaki… My Masaki…” Sho whispered still holding him tightly till they heard someone clearing their throats.

They turned their heads meeting their appointed doctors looking at them; Ninomiya Kazunari with a purportedly critical stare and Matsumoto Jun with a frown.

“Should I remind you of the rules…?” Jun said in a tone that made Sho put Masaki back on his wheelchair before mumbling an apology.

“Aiba-san, Sakurai-san you’re late for your group session. Ohno-sensei is waiting for you… Hurry up!”

Nino rolled his eyes as he grabbed Jun’s arm. “Stop playing the DoS, J… It doesn’t suit you!”

“But they broke the…”

“You are the one to speak about rules!”

“I-” Jun started saying but was cut off.

“Should I remind you that your boyfriend used to be around here as well? And no, he wasn’t a doctor nor a nurse!” Nino wiggled his eyebrows smirking. “Just because you miss him for being abroad, it doesn’t mean that you should play the tough guy with these two… We told them, now let’s go! Besides, you have Agekata, don’t you?”

Sho and Masaki were left dumbfounded watching the other two going away or more correctly Ninomiya dragging Matsumoto away.

“Matsumoto-sensei is dating a former patient?!” Masaki said perplexed.

“I can’t believe Ninomiya wants to tell me that this clinic hasn’t popped out from Grey’s Anatomy…” Sho mumbled smirking widely.

Masaki burst into loud laughs that echoed in the walls of the empty court. It was breathy but to Sho’s ears adorable.

“I guess it’s not only your smile that is addictive but also your laugh…” Sho said before pushing Masaki towards the door. “Let’s go to Ohno’s room and the moment it’s over we’ll be right back! I want to see you throw some balls!”

***

In a week, it would be three months since they entered the clinic for the first time. The weather was getting colder but to neither of them felt like it. It had been a few weeks, since Sho had felt terrible because of his need for alcohol and drugs for the last time. He had managed to fill three notebooks of lyrics. He had denied meeting with his manager and only sent an email asking for the end of his contract. Screw being a millionaire… screw being a bad boy… He wanted to be Sho… Sho who was in love with Masaki and wrote the lyrics he wanted. Nothing more, nothing less.

“Glad to find you here… Your results are out…” the one who had spoken was Nino.

Sho felt his heart stopping. He had been praying this day would come but in the same time, he was afraid to face it.

“Ok”

Sho frowned still not looking at the other. “What?”

“They were ok… so that means you’re ok as well!”

“You mean I can be out of here?” Sho asked as he grabbed the small figured doctor’s both arms.

“I have to see my chubby’s report too before making my decision but I guess that by the end of the month you will be able to go home…”

“Finally! No more stupid rul-” Sho exclaimed happily before being cut off by the other.

“The stupid rules will always apply for alcohol and any alternative kind of… boost… the one that will be off is having fun with your boyfriend…” the doctor leaned closer. “I’d suggest you exploit it at the maximum… it’s the most effective boost out there!” he winked at him and left.

Sho ran to his room and opened the door with force when it hit him. He could leave… but what about the other? Masaki was eating properly… his portions were turning bigger and bigger… His body was also getting a lot heathier because of the daily training. Sho knew he was taking a pill to fight depression but he wouldn’t stand for hours by the window, staring at the sky… he would do it for a few minutes but his stare would be focused and lips curved in a smile. He was becoming another Masaki… an attractive Masaki, he had never expected… and he didn’t want to leave him behind. No matter what…

“They told you you’ll be out, didn’t they?”

Sho got startled, lost as he was in his thoughts. Sighing, he closed the door behind knowing well that he couldn’t hide from his boyfriend.

“They did…”

“And why looking this blue? I thought you’d be happy to make me scream from the pleasure you’d be giving me… or perhaps you think I don’t have the potential to be the killer-sexy you were daydreaming?!”

Masaki’s voice was husky, erotic yet in the same time, teasing, happy. Sho’s eyes bulged.

“You… you mean…?”

“YES!” Masaki exclaimed in an enthusiastic tone, Sho had never heard, before throwing his hands up in the air as a sign to the other to hold him up in his arms.

Sho held him tightly. “I knew we could find a purpose together… I knew it…”

“I love you, Sho” Masaki whispered, his face lost in Sho’s hair.

“I love you too, Masaki… I love you so much!”

***

“J…?”

Jun sighed recognizing the hint in the other’s tone.

“Fine! You can have it!” he turned around throwing him a warning gaze. “But only for a weekend!”

“Friday and a weekend. Nice to work with you!” Nino replied triumphantly before turning around to Satoshi who was looking at him rather confused. “This Friday we leave for Yokohama! J was kind enough to let us enjoy his maisonette with the best view at the city!” he came closer wrapping his arms around his lover’s neck. “Imagine the sex we will have behind those windows…”

Satoshi cleared his throat, choosing not to comment on the other’s fetishism. “And why would he lend it to us? He’s way too sensitive when it comes to his coffee mug let alone his luxurious maisonette…”

“Oh… that’s because he lost the bet. You remember how he insisted we put Aiba in a single bedroom at the north so that we can check on him better…”

“Yes…?”

“I insisted that we put Sakurai and Aiba together and it actually worked!”

“You had a bet on the patients?! I can’t believe you, Nino!”

“But it was the only way Jun would let us use his luxurious maisonette… I’ve been dying to go there since he had showed us those photos!”

Satoshi didn’t want to listen to anything. He stormed out of the office, followed by Nino.

“But baby… I did what I thought it would be the best for Sakurai and Aiba and I was proved right… They had many things in common and I know how it is to actually have someone that understands you better than anyone by your side! My chubby… please… talk to me… please…”

“You did well and I agreed with you because I also thought it was the right thing to do. That’s why I asked from Jun-kun to be Aiba’s appointed doctor this time. He hadn’t opened to me… but from that to actually put a bet is different… I’m not going to Yokohama!”

“But… But imagine all the things I’ll do to you… whatever it is…”

“No!”

***

Masaki looked at Sho who was holding both their suitcases, one at each side of his as they headed towards the taxi that was waiting for them outside. He had agreed to go to Sho’s apartment for a while, till they found a new place of their own, knowing that his landlord would never accept him back; not that he wanted to go there ever again… it would only remind him his weaknesses, his restless days and nights and he was sure that was the last thing he needed at the moment.

Sho, on the other hand, had no problem. It always felt like a hotel room; there weren’t many feelings involved. He knew that it would be tough for both of them. Until now, they were under the safety of the clinic… now, they would be on their own but this time they wouldn’t be alone… they’d have each other.

“Don’t forget that we’re expecting you in two weeks for a small check-up!” Nino told them as he gave them his hand. “So, please remember to eat properly after any kind of exercise!” he said rather suggestively making half of the ones around him laugh and the rest blush.

“Once weird, always weird!” Sho mumbled smiling. “But I must admit you’re one hell of a doc and no, I’m not hitting on you! I have my killer-sexy babe!”

Nino muffled a laugh. “I never thought you were! Take care and if you need anything, I mean anything don’t hesitate to call any of us! Ok?”

The two young men nodded. After they greeted the doctors and the few nurses that had come to send them off, they sat in the taxi ready to face the world.

“Ready?” Sho asked his hand gripping Masaki’s tightly.

Masaki looked at his boyfriend’s eyes and smiled. “Ready!”

 

THE END

 

 

A.N. Soooo minna here's the second part of this small Sakuraiba fic! ^_^ I hope it turned out ok! I tried to include as many Sakuraiba moments as possible, as well as to show the progress that they had! I wanted them to have their fluffy moments and show how they came closer to each other! As for the ones who had commented at the previous one that it was Nino's idea, you were right! ;) And just to lighten things up a bit, I tried to include some funny moments - thanks to the super trio of the doctors! xD  
In a few days you'll be having the epilogue, too! :)

My dear dani_mathoz hope it turned out the way you wanted!!! ;) Love you!

 

I hope you really enjoyed it and as always your comments are <333!!!

 

See you very soon,  
Andy ^_^

 

 

 


	3. Kibou no Takara

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sakurai Sho is a famous rapper who ends up in a special clinic for his 'boosts of fun', as he calls them. There, he meets Aiba Masaki, a former backsetball player whose career ended after a car accident. The latter seems to be very distant. At first, Sho doesn't pay attention but the more time passes, the more he finds himself intrigued by him. There's a familiar aura... as if they both can't find a reason in their lives. Could it be that this encounter will help them find a reason together?

Title: Kibou no Takara

Author: Andy-chan ([](http://antimiya88.livejournal.com/profile)[ **antimiya88**](http://antimiya88.livejournal.com/) )

Pairings: Sakuraiba (main) / Ohmiya (mentioned) / Junma (only mentioned)

Genre: AU, Romance, Slice of life

Rating: PG13

Summary: Sakurai Sho is a famous rapper who ends up in a special clinic for his 'boosts of fun', as he calls them. There, he meets Aiba Masaki, a former backsetball player whose career ended after a car accident. The latter seems to be very distant. At first, Sho doesn't pay attention but the more time passes, the more he finds himself intrigued by him. There's a familiar aura... as if they both can't find a reason in their lives. Could it be that this encounter will help them find a reason together?

Disclaimer: I don't own Sakuraiba, ~~they own me~~.

 

 

 

  


 

 

 

  
[Part 1](http://antimiya88.livejournal.com/58092.html#cutid1)   /   [Part 2](http://antimiya88.livejournal.com/58335.html#cutid1)

 

 

 

 

 

Epilogue

  
  
  
  
_A year later…_  
  
Sho looked at his lover who had fallen asleep next to him. His cheeks were still flushed and his hair sweaty, stuck on his beautiful face betraying their former passionate actions. Sho could only smile, his hand coming to take the tufts away. He looked beautiful… like an angel… He always was but seeing him being lost in pleasure was something that he would have never dared to imagine… Masaki would be giving… passionate… loving… caring… perfect… He still couldn’t believe how lucky he was to have met him.  
  
It had almost been a year since they had left the clinic and the more time passed by, the more he felt blessed. At first, it had been difficult but they had each other. He knew that Masaki would check to see, if he had hidden alcohol somewhere in the apartment the same way he would check, to see if the other had taken his pills. The road had not been easy but luckily, they would stick to their purpose.  
  
It had been a couple of months ago that Sho had managed to go to the studio and record his first indie cd. All the songs were nothing like with his older ones but to his surprise, it was welcomed by a respectful part of his older fans and strangely by a big part of the music critics. _Revolutionary and true_ were the two words that had been used to describe it and Sho couldn’t have been more satisfied…  
  
This cd was his telling of his story… of _their_ story… He wanted to prove to everyone who had tried to speak ill of them that they had managed to be the winners and also send a message to all those people lost in their illusions that there was always light at the end of the tunnel, as long as they were determined to find it.  
  
He kept staring at his lover who snuggled closer to him. He pressed his lips softly on his forehead and sneaked out of the bed, trying not to wake the other up. It was 2 am but sleep wouldn’t come. He had a quick shower and went to the kitchen to make a tea. In the apartment they would keep many different teas because Masaki insisted that because alcohol was banned, it didn’t mean that there shouldn’t be a wide range of _drinks_.  
  
He took his mug and went to sit by the window, observing the few people that were walking down the street at this hour. He found himself thinking about the next day. He would give a small concert… nothing like in the past but he felt too nervous… how would it be? Would they be supportive? Would there be any former fans to boo him perhaps? It was nerve-wracking.  
  
His eyes fell on the small photo on the bookcase on his right. He had taken it three months ago when he had been with Masaki to Yokohama. His lover had insisted to climb on the Ferris wheel after sunset. Then, he couldn’t understand why but after seeing this picture he could. He had Masaki on his lap, the latter’s head resting on the crook of neck while having behind the most beautiful background…  
  
There were small moments like this that had made him feel strong… willing to remain like that forever. He drank some of his tea and sighed deeply.  
  
“You shouldn’t be awake…” he heard Masaki whisper behind him and turned around to find his lover on his wheelchair with his boxers and T-shirt on.  
  
“Masaki, I woke you up? I didn’t want to…”  
  
“I would have joined you in your bath but it took me some time to sit on the wheelchair...” Masaki replied in a whiny voice as he came closer to his lover, throwing his hands around Sho’s nape.  
  
“I… I hurt you?” Sho asked rather worried just to be hushed with a breathtaking kiss.  
  
“I admit that I’m a bit sore…” Masaki whispered once he broke it “But you really are worried of having hurt me?! Trust me, Sho… those screams from earlier weren’t of pain or discomfort…”  
  
“But still… I couldn’t control myself… You make me insatiable…”  
  
“And I want you to stay like that… I’m not made of glass you know…” Masaki said teasingly. “So, feel free and give it all to me… Just not the night before my games… We always have the night after… Ok?”  
  
Sho smiled leaning closer and pecked playfully Masaki’s nose. “Whatever my baby wants!”  
  
“Nervous?” Masaki asked in a serious tone this time.  
  
“Yes…” Sho said sighing.  
  
“You shouldn’t be… everyone will be there to cheer you up… and don’t forget that you will have your biggest fan there too! He even prepared a special hoodie!”  
  
Sho tilted his head with a small frown. “Am I supposed to worry about my biggest fan?”  
  
“Yes… because he will scream and cheer for you this loud that no one else will have the chance to reach you!”  
  
Sho smiled taking Masaki in his arms as he went to sit at the corner of the sofa. “Good! Because I don’t care for anyone else in the first place… As long as I have him, I’m more than happy…”  
  
Masaki caressed his lover’s cheek before placing a soft kiss on it. “There’s nothing to worry about. You go out there and do what you love the most. When you’re real, people will know…”  
  
“Baby…” Sho whispered tightening his hug.  
  
“I have faith in you, Sho… I believe in you!”  
  
“I love you…”  
  
“I love you, too…”  
  
***  
   
  
 _A year and five months later…_  
  
Masaki raised his hands to block the other. He could see with the corner of his eyes that the stopwatch was counting under five seconds till the end of the game. He had to move fast after a fake and a fast break he managed to get the ball and quickly throw a three-point shoot. Everyone was left almost breathless watching the ball as it went closer to the basket.  
  
Masaki couldn’t believe it. It had got in… they had won… He could hear the viewers screaming out loud, his co-players come to cheer with him but his eyes scanned almost eagerly the grandstands. He knew Sho would always pick the ones behind the basket his team would use for the last half-time. It took him some seconds and then he saw him. Having put a scarf at the colors of his team around his forehead and jumping up and down screaming at the top of his lungs.  
  
He felt tears of happiness filling up his eyes once again. It had been exactly like he had said. Sho had always been to his games. He would always cheer for him… he would always make him feel protected as he moved up and down the court. He couldn’t deny that he had missed running, making behind-the-legs-dribbles and fakes the way he used to but he wasn’t ungrateful. He could still hear the sound the ball did as it hit against the backboard. He could still feel it in his hands… and that was enough.  
  
In the locker room the cheers and excitement continued and Masaki felt the adrenaline running through his veins. He was complete… even if he couldn’t walk.  
  
Soon, they all had their showers.  Masaki was left on his own, as he enjoyed being the last one to leave the locker room. It helped him register the image… the reminder that he could still be in there… still play basketball. He was ready to leave as well when he saw two men waiting for him at the door.  
  
“Aiba-san?”  
  
Masaki nodded. “Yes…?” He frowned when he saw the card he was given. He looked at them confused.  
  
“Don’t look troubled, we just wanted to tell you that you’ve been selected to join the national team. You have caught our attention since that game against Osaka RP and today we were convinced that you should be there!”  
  
Masaki was left speechless. “Me…?” tears made his sight blurry. “Jo… joining the national team?”  
  
“Before your hiatus, you were one of the stars and you proved in so little time to everyone that you still are. You’re born to play basketball, Aiba-san… you have the talent but you also have the passion… The Japanese team needs such inspiring players… Japan needs such inspiring people… It helps fighting against prejudice! We will expecting you at the training center this Saturday at ten am!”  
  
Masaki found himself blushing. There was no way he was or could be all of that. He only nodded to them with a smile but remained silent.  
  
“They are saying the truth, you know…”  
  
Masaki looked up surprised to find his lover, leaning against the door with his hands crossed in front of his chest.  
  
“Sho…”  
  
Sho ran to him and took him in his arms, lifting him up in the air. “You were shining, my Masaki! Amazing, breathtaking! Today more than ever!”  
  
“Sho…” Masaki whispered again, not knowing what he should say. He was feeling shy but also happy knowing that the other loved him so much.  
  
“I wish I could just shove you against your locker and make you scream…”  
  
“I’m glad to see you follow my advice and exploit yourselves at the maximum!” a voice was heard behind them making them freeze.  
  
Sho placed Masaki carefully on his wheelchair before turning his attention to the one who had spoken.  
  
“Ninomiya… What are you doing here?”  
  
“That’s it? Not –sensei anymore? My feelings are hurt! I’m still a doctor you know!”  
  
“Still a _weird_ doc!”  
  
“Unique!”  
  
Sho rolled his eyes but before he could say anything as a reply, he heard Masaki talking to the other doctor. “Ohno-kun, it’s a pleasure to see you here. Never thought you were a basketball fan…”  
  
“I wanted to see you! We would have come earlier but Nino is very stubborn when it comes to his favorite games!”  
  
Nino sighed. “I wanted to watch Aiba-kun as well, my Chubby!”  
  
Sho chuckled. These two had somehow stick close to them… They were undoubtedly weird but cute in the same time… and he knew that even if they never admitted it, it was them that had pushed him and Masaki to open up. They had become to them more than their former doctors… people, who Sho knew for sure, cared for them… It had started after the ‘official visits’ at the clinic had ended. Masaki had told them to come at their apartment as a thank you for everything they had done.  
  
They had started talking about many things. They would occasionally meet and a couple of months ago they had gone to the doctors’ apartment as well, surprised to find a whole corner of the living room full of pc games and consoles. They had come to know them better and Sho would even dare to say that they, along with Matsumoto Jun and his boyfriend, Ikuta Toma, had become their… friends…  
  
“You know? Last week, Matsumoto-kun came with Ikuta-kun to watch Sho’s live!” Masaki said enthusiastically as he moved forwards.  
  
“Pretentious, art-loving diva…” Nino mumbled under his breath with a sulking face, crossing his hands in front of his chest.  
  
Satoshi sighed. “What do you say we go all together for dinner?” he asked everyone ignoring his boyfriend.  
  
“Sure. But _not_ hamburger this time!”  
  
Masaki chuckled seeing Nino’s facial expression.  
  
“What about yakiniku?” he asked, smiling to see both Sho and Satoshi agreeing with him. “My treat! I got picked for the national team!” he added casually.  
  
“You’re kidding!” Nino said immediately finding back his smile.  
  
Sho looked at his lover with the couple of doctors getting out of the room talking enthusiastically about the news. There was no doubt that they had become their friends… very good friends...  
  
***  
  
“What are you thinking, Sho?” Masaki asked as he placed his head on top of Sho’s chest, listening to his heart beat.  
  
“How beautiful my life is… When I had been forced to enter the clinic, I thought it was the worst thing that had ever happened to me…”  
  
Masaki smiled as he rested his weight on his right elbow to watch his lover. “And now?”  
  
“I realize that it was the best… not only did I find you but also four amazing friends!”  
  
Masaki was pulled into a sweet kiss. “Sho… can I tell you something?”  
  
“Of course, baby!”  
  
“I feel that my accident was a blessing…”  
  
“Masak-”  
  
“Shh…” Masaki placed his palm on top of Sho’s lips to hush him. “Let me finish first! If it hadn’t happened to me, I would have stuck to a life where basketball was everything for me. Now it is what gives energy, fun but is not everything… I have a wonderful man by my side… wonderful friends… I feel loved… and basketball has got a different, deeper meaning! So, yes… I think that it was a blessing… because before, when I could still walk, I thought I was happy but now I realize how wrong I was. Something was missing. Now, it doesn’t… because now I have someone who truly loves Masaki… not the player… not the rich man… not the body…” he said weakly feeling tears building up in his eyes.  
  
“Hey! I don’t love your body… I _adore_ it!” Sho said teasingly with a pout and Masaki knew that it was his way to lighten the atmosphere up.  
  
“That’s also a difference, Sho…” he said with a smile while sniffing discreetly his nose. “Don’t…”  
  
“Don’t…?”  
  
“Don’t you think that now it would be a good moment to show it to me?” Masaki whispered with a pout.  
  
Sho chuckled. “To show you _what_ , baby?” his voice huskier.  
  
Masaki looked at him with dark eyes, his voice colored by the lust. “How much you _adore_ my body… If I remember correctly, you were saying something about… shoving me against the locker…”  
  
“There are no lockers here…” Sho replied in a hoarse voice, his hand traveling under the hem of his lover’s shirt.  
  
“There are closets!” Masaki whispered in Sho’s ear, his lips ghosting on the hot skin.  
  
“Your wish, my command…” Sho growled and picked his lover up who was giggling, crashing their bodies together.  
  
He shoved him against the closet in their bedroom, staring at his flushed face. He would never get tired of staring at it… it wasn’t just the beauty… it was the love…  
  
He leaned closer, his lips attaching to the soft neck. “Now, prepare yourself to scream…” more feather-like kisses “… a lot!”  


 

 

  
THE END 

 

 

 

 

A.N. Sooo minna here's the epilogue!!! ^_^ I know some of you wanted it to be nc but I didn't want to make this fic like that! There were still some hints though! ;) I hope you liked it! I wanted to show some important moments of their lives and how they have succeeded in fighting with the old demons while loving each other more! ^^

 

My dear [](http://dani-mathoz.livejournal.com/profile)[**dani_mathoz**](http://dani-mathoz.livejournal.com/) I hope everything was satisfying!!! Love you! <3

 

 

I really hope you enjoyed it and as always your comments are <333!!!

 

 

See you very soon,  
Andy ^_^

 

 

 

 


End file.
